The present focus on the chemotherapy of melanoma is an attempt to select chemical agents that will be selectively incorporated into melanocytes by virtue of the fact that melanocytes are the only cells containing the unique tyrosine-to-melanin pathway. Our goal is not to inhibit pigmentation of melanocytes but to provide a high concentration of toxic substances in the malignant melanocytes. To achieve these goals, it is necessary to not only screen a large number of compounds for these specific effects on melanocytes including hydroquinone and its derivatives, but also to isolate and characterize various subunits of melanosomal proteins in order to develop specific antibodies.